Digital Commons Network^™

Seeing The Forest For The Trees: A Social-Ecological Approach To Sustainably Managing Outdoor Recreation Visitation In Parks And Protected Areas, Georgia Ann Giles

Master's Theses and Capstones

Parks and protected areas visitation in the United States has increased substantially over the past several decades, and dramatically within the past few years. This expansion in visitation raises concerns regarding the influence of social, situational, and ecological factors upon visitor experiences, natural resources, and adjacent communities. This study investigated the relationship between three influencing factors and visitors’ behaviors and decision-making on the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) of New Hampshire. A mail-back and online survey method was used to collect data from WMNF visitors from June to August of 2020 (n= 642). Structural equation modeling and binary logistic regression …

Cosmic Diffuse Gamma-Ray Background Measurement With The Advanced Scintillator Compton Telescope (Ascot), Tejaswita Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary goal of my research was to measure the cosmic diffuse gamma-ray (CDG) background in the energy range of 0.4 - 2.5 MeV using the balloon flight data from the Advanced Scintillator Compton Telescope (ASCOT). ASCOT is a medium-energy gamma-ray Compton telescope that uses commercially available high performance scintillators—Cerium Bromide (CeBr3) and p-terphenyl—along with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for light readout. It was built to address the lack of data in the gamma-ray energy range of 0.4 - 20 MeV. ASCOT was successfully launched on 2018 July 5 from the NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, TX. We performed …

Structural And Binding Studies Of The Polar Organizing Protein Z (Popz) Using Nmr Spectroscopy, Christopher Taylor Nordyke

Doctoral Dissertations

The polar organizing protein Z (PopZ) is an intrinsically disordered protein from Caulobacter crescentus that is necessary for the formation of three-dimensional microdomains at the cell poles, where it functions as a hub protein that recruits multiple regulatory proteins. Although a large portion of the protein is predicted to be disordered, PopZ can self-assemble into polymeric superstructure scaffolds that directly bind to at least ten different proteins. Here, we report the solution NMR structure of PopZΔ134–177, a truncated variant of PopZ that does not self-assemble but retains the ability to interact with heterologous proteins. We show that the unbound form …

"I Know You're Family": An Exploration Of The Enduring Relevance Of A Pre-College Summer Bridge Program For Underrepresented Minoritized Students, Kathryn Slater

Doctoral Dissertations

The proposed dissertation investigates the enduring relevance of a pre-college summer bridge program for underrepresented minoritized (URM) students who participate in the program as an entry point into a predominantly White institution (PWI). Using narrative inquiry and a critical frame, this dissertation uses individual interviewing and focus group data to understand the experiences of 10 URM summer bridge program participants at different points in their undergraduate academic career. For the purposes of this study, relevance of a summer bridge program for URM students refers to the ways in which deliberate and proactive programming helps students to develop academic and socio-emotional …

Exploring Mathematical Connections Preservice Teachers Make Between Abstract Algebra And Secondary Mathematics: Implications For Learning And Teaching, Cammie Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract algebra has been identified as an important course for preservice secondary mathematics teachers because much of the abstract algebra content is connected to, and thus relevant for, secondary mathematics teaching (Wasserman et al., 2017). However, many preservice teachers do not recognize the usefulness of an undergraduate abstract algebra course and see no relation between abstract algebra and secondary school mathematics (Christy & Sparks, 2015; Ticknor, 2012). While much of the research regarding preservice teachers making connections to secondary school mathematics in abstract algebra has been conducted in courses designed for preservice teachers, the research suggests that most universities with …

Discourses Of Diversity: A Qualitative Case Study Of World Language Pedagogies Through An Intersectional Lens, Sheri Dion

Doctoral Dissertations

Schools are becoming more linguistically and racially diverse in K-12 settings, yet there is relatively little research that explores how language teachers incorporate student and community diversities in their pedagogies. Situated at one, northeastern public secondary school in the United States, this research offers a qualitative case study of language pedagogies through an intersectional lens to investigate the mechanisms and contexts through which inequities arise. Data is collected from the following sources: teacher interviews, classroom observations, teachers’ syllabi, and student de-identified work. This study employs intersectionality (Collins & Bilge, 2016; Crenshaw, 1989, 2010) as a primary theoretical lens and critical …

Investigating The Evolutionary Dynamics Of Traits In Metazoa, Jennifer L. Spillane

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the last 800 million years, animals have evolved an incredible array of diverse forms, life histories, ecologies, and traits. In the age of genome-scale resources for many animal taxa, researchers have a unique opportunity to investigate animal diversity and evolution through comparative genomic methods. These methods allow for studies not only of current diversity and evolutionary relationships, but also of ancient evolutionary dynamics and genomic repertoire. In order to study the evolution of diverse animal traits in a rigorous way however, researchers must not neglect the fundamental components of a robust comparative genomics study: well-supported phylogenies, high-quality genomic resources, …

Justice System Outcomes Of Children Referred For Sexual Offenses, Kei Saito

Doctoral Dissertations

The proliferation of increasingly punitive sex crime legislation in the United States have extended to include children adjudicated of sexual offenses. Using data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, this dissertation examined the impact of three factors on sentencing outcomes for children referred for illegal sexual behaviors: race, same-sex victim, and county of referral. (1) Black children were disproportionately arrested for sexual offenses compared to any other racial/ethnic group. However, Black children in the sample were less likely to face harsher outcomes compared to Caucasian children, such as adjudication and ordered to register as a sex offender. (2) Children …

Cognitive Control And Language Network Connectivity Associated With Language Production In Aphasia, Jessica Lee

Master's Theses and Capstones

Aphasia is the breakdown of language comprehension and production due to an acquired brain injury of the left hemisphere. Investigation of the neurological underpinnings of aphasia have advanced from post-mortem investigation of specific regions in the 1800s to the utilization of brain imaging technology to understand brain networks. These approaches have helped us to appreciate the reorganization of the brain and its networks post stroke, particularly as it relates or is modified for adequate versus impaired performance. Research into neuroplastic changes can elucidate differences between healthy and lesioned brains. Furthermore, identification of adaptive (or maladaptive) neuroplastic changes can also inform …

Analyzing Transitional Stages During Transfer Of Control In An Automated Vehicle, Divyabharathi Nagaraju

Master's Theses and Capstones

The level 3 automation vehicles provide time for drivers to participate in a non-driving task when vehicle automation is on. However, the vehicle requests the driver to take control of the vehicle when the system reaches its limitations. Many researchers have studied different hand-over procedures, and the effect on take-over time and driving performance. There is limited research on analyzing the driver's transitions during the transfer of control in an automated vehicle. The goal of our research work is to find out the order of a series of transition stages that a driver goes through during take-over in an automated …

Motion Study Of A Point Absorber Wave Energy Converter Using A Physical Scale Model And Numerical Modeling, Aaron J. Russell

Master's Theses and Capstones

The storm response of a point absorber wave energy device and mooring design was investigated using a Froude scaled physical model and computer software. This testing allowed the behavior of the device to be observed and analyzed in a controlled environment before future field testing at a site south of the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire. The information gathered can then be used to make design changes and improvements before finalizing the design. A scale model of the Healy Wave Energy Converter (WEC) was built and tested in the University of New Hampshire wave tank. The data collected from this …

An Empirical Evaluation Of Visual Cues For 3d Flow Field Perception, Andrew Harlan Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations

Three-dimensional vector fields are common datasets throughout the sciences. They often represent physical phenomena that are largely invisible to us in the real world, like wind patterns and ocean currents. Computer-aided visualization is a powerful tool that can represent data in any way we choose through digital graphics. Visualizing 3D vector fields is inherently difficult due to issues such as visual clutter, self-occlusion, and the difficulty of providing depth cues that adequately support the perception of flow direction in 3D space. Cutting planes are often used to overcome these issues by presenting slices of data that are more cognitively manageable. …

Restoration Of Native Plant Communities In Sand Dune Systems Of Plum Island, Newbury, Massachusetts, Natalie Feldsine

Master's Theses and Capstones

The impacts of Superstorm Sandy on coastal resources of the eastern United States have brought the importance of resilient sand dune systems into focus. While dunes are primarily dominated by American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata), a host of other native species commonly occur in these systems, providing diversity and habitat complexity that is often not recognized or incorporated into dune restoration initiatives, and could benefit sites where dune dieout is a concern. Dieout refers to the death of A. breviligulata occurring in large patches. The goal of this study was to explore the importance of biodiversity on dune resiliency by using …

Abortion Restrictions During A Pandemic At The Intersection Of The 13th Amendment And Electoral Legislation, Dr. Cynthia Boyer

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

The current pandemic is intensifying restrictions on a wide range of fundamental rights which form a key pillar of the rule of law, it includes access to reproductive rights. Some states have moved forward with their ideological quest of control and infringement of constitutional rights in order to ban or limit abortion what is a fundamental attack on constitutional rights and in particular those associated with the Thirteenth Amendment. These restrictions on abortion resulting from the proclamation of a state of emergency follow the path already taken by certain states to reinforce their coercive measures. They raise major legal and …

New England State Senates: Case Studies For Revisiting The Indirect Election Of Legislators, Tyler Quinn Yeargain

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

No abstract provided.

Active Goal Recognition Design, Kevin Christopher Gall

Master's Theses and Capstones

In Goal Recognition Design (GRD), the objective is to modify a domain to facilitate early detection of the goal of a subject agent. Most previous work studies this problem in the offline setting, in which the observing agent performs its interventions before the subject begins acting. In this thesis, we generalize GRD to the online setting in which time passes and the observer's actions are interleaved with those of the subject. We illustrate weaknesses of existing metrics for GRD and propose an alternative better suited to online settings. We provide a formal definition of this Active GRD (AGRD) problem and …

The Contribution Of Tgbdp5 To Gene Regulation In The Acute Stage Of Toxoplasma, Julia Heffernan

Master's Theses and Capstones

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is a highly prevalent disease found on every content. An estimated 20-40% of the United States’ population is infected with the parasite according to IgG seroprevalence. There are two stages of Toxoplasma that cause disease, tachyzoites which cause the acute phase and the bradyzoites which cause the chronic phase. The chronic stage will persist for a life-long infection which can reactivate to tachyzoites if the host becomes immunocompromised, leading to encephalitis and heart failure. Current drug therapies clinically approved to treat Toxoplasma can only target tachyzoites and can cause adverse reactions. Therefore, the …

Validation And Optimization Of A Steady-State Moving Boundary Model For A Vapor Compression Refrigeration Cycle, Charles Klewicki

Master's Theses and Capstones

The objective of this work is to conduct physical experiments to validate and optimize a steady state moving boundary model of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle (VCRC). The experimental facility includes a controlled heat source and a VCRC system for heat rejection. Pressure, temperature, and flow measurements of the VCRC are acquired at specific points in the flow loop from which thermodynamic cycles are created and cycle integrated variables are computed.

Nine sets of experiments were conducted to train the steady state moving boundary model with respect to empirical formulations for the volumetric, isentropic, and combined efficiencies of the compressor. …

Use Of Smart Rocks To Improve Rock Slope Design, Bruma Morganna Mendonca Mendonca De Souza

Master's Theses and Capstones

For many states, rockfall presents risks of irreversible damage to motorists on highways and roads across the country. Assessing these hazards is difficult as it relies on highly empirical methods based on assumed and/or measured slope and terrain surfaces and rock parameters, which can predict unrealistic trajectories due to unreliable modeling inputs. Research undertaken at the University of New Hampshire over the last decade includes the development of Smart Rock (SR) sensors used to evaluate these events from the perspective of the falling rock. The latest SRs consist of 3D printed capsules 50.8 mm in length and 25.4 mm in …

Holistic Approach To Determine Lasting Effects Of Road Salt On Infrastructure Health, Environmental Health, And Public Safety, Annmarie Picinich

Master's Theses and Capstones

Road salt has become an increasingly unsustainable material when focusing on the economic, environmental, and social aspects, especially for a bridge system. Increasing environmental concerns and regulations have caused questioning and investigations into the repetitive use of road salt for winter maintenance. There is some incorporation of these ideas into practice, such as the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Service (NHDES) Road Salt Reduction Program. Applying excessive amounts of road salt to the roadway and surrounding walkway is necessary to maintain pedestrian and vehicle safety. With the application of considerable quantities of road salt material, costs are substantial when analyzing …

Elucidating An Implicit Learning Network In Healthy Adults During Artificial Grammar Tasks, Kaila E. Cote

Master's Theses and Capstones

Implicit learning is the unconscious extraction of rules governing complex stimuli, measured through experiments such as artificial grammar tasks, and is directly related to natural language learning. While several theories address the underlying framework for implicit learning, few studies have shed light on a consensus neural network involved in implicit learning. The short-term goal of this thesis is to further elucidate the brain regions involved in implicit learning of linguistic stimuli. The long-range goal of this research program is to understand how implicit learning and the brain regions associated with it relate to language learning and treatment outcomes in individuals …

About The Authors

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

Comm-Entary, Spring 2021 - Full Issue

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

Saam Article, Carolyn Stoller

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

The New Hampshire, Vol. 110 [111], No. 57 (Apr. 29, 2021), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 110, but it is the 111th volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

Seaweed Monitoring In The Great Bay Estuary, Nh: 2020 Annual Report, Andrew Payne, David M. Burdick, Gregg Moore, Natalie White, Christopher Peter, Arthur Mathieson

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

As water temperatures rise due to global warming and nitrogen inputs change, it is important to understand how these changes are impacting vegetative communities that form the basic habitat structure in the Great Bay Estuary, NH. The abundance and taxa of intertidal seaweeds have been monitored at fixed locations throughout the Estuary since 2013. In 2020, percent cover and biomass were collected from five intertidal and four subtidal sampling locations. Data from 2013-2020 show appreciable amounts of nuisance seaweeds (primarily reds), including several introduced species. Cover of green seaweeds decreased significantly over time at the two intertidal sites (Depot Road …

Label-Based Generalization Of Bathymetry Data For Hydrographic Sounding Selection, Noel Dyer, Christos Kastrisios, Leila De Floriani

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Hydrographic sounding selection is the process of generalizing high-resolution bathymetry data to a more manageable subset capable of supporting nautical chart compilation or bathymetric modeling, and thus, is a fundamental task in nautical cartography. As technology improves and bathymetric data are collected at higher resolutions, the need for automated generalization algorithms that respect nautical cartographic constraints increases, since errors in this phase are carried over to the final product. Currently, automated algorithms for hydrographic sounding selection rely on radius- and grid-based approaches; however, their outputs contain a dense set of soundings with a significant number of cartographic constraint violations, thus …

The New Hampshire, Vol. 110 [111], No. 56 (Apr. 22, 2021), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 110, but it is the 111th volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

Sf6+: Stabilizing Transient Ions In Helium Nanodroplets, Simon Albertini, Stefan Bergmeister, Felix Laimer, Paul Martini, Elisabeth Gruber, Fabio Zappa, Milan Ončák, Paul Scheier, Olof E. Echt

Faculty Publications

There are myriads of ions that are deemed too short-lived to be experimentally accessible. One of them is SF₆⁺. It has never been observed, although not for lack of trying. We demonstrate that long-lived SF₆⁺ can be formed by doping charged helium nanodroplets (HNDs) with sulfur hexafluoride; excess helium is then gently stripped from the doped HNDs by collisions with helium gas. The ion is identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry (resolution m/Dm = 15000), the close agreement between the expected and observed yield of ions that contain minor sulfur isotopes, and collision-induced dissociation …

Assessing Marginal Shallow-Water Bathymetric Information Content Of Lidar Sounding Attribute Data And Derived Seafloor Geomorphometry, Kim Lowell, Brian R. Calder

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Shallow-water depth estimates from airborne lidar data might be improved by using sounding attribute data (SAD) and ocean geomorphometry derived from lidar soundings. Moreover, an accurate derivation of geomorphometry would be beneficial to other applications. The SAD examined here included routinely collected variables such as sounding intensity and fore/aft scan direction. Ocean-floor geomorphometry was described by slope, orientation, and pulse orthogonality that were derived from the depth estimates of bathymetry soundings using spatial extrapolation and interpolation. Four data case studies (CSs) located near Key West, Florida (United States) were the testbed for this study. To identify bathymetry soundings in lidar …